1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus, and specifically relates to a method of correcting color misregistration in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus that forms a color image with a plurality of colors generally has been configured that the image for each color is separately developed for transfer onto a transfer member or a recording sheet. Therefore, there has been a problem in which a color misregistration occurs in each plate at the time of a transfer for each color.
To solve this problem, a technology is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-71516, in which technology includes, for measuring a color misregistration amount of an optical-beam scanning apparatus, inputting the measurement value from an operating unit, calculating a correction value based on the input value, and then storing the calculated corrected value in a storage unit. In this technology, the correction value is stored in the image forming apparatus when a correction was performed at the time of a previous power-on, and color misregistration correction is performed at the time of power-on by using the stored correction value, thereby aiming at a more accurate color misregistration correction.
Although the color misregistration correction is always performed at the time of power-on by using the stored correction value in the technology disclosed, in practical use of the image forming apparatus, a color misregistration does not so often occur when, for example, the state of the previous use of the apparatus is similar to that of at the time of power-on this time. In the technique disclosed, the color misregistration correcting operation is often performed even when not needed.